On Thursday April 18th, 2013, a woman was struck and killed by a southbound Amtrak commuter train near the Carlsbad village station in San Diego. According to sheriff’s deputy Dawn Patterson, investigators from the San Diego Sheriff’s Rail Enforcement Unit determined that the woman had walked through the west side pedestrian gate of the station into the path of the oncoming train. The woman suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Railway related injuries are often catastrophic. Carlsbad is no stranger to tragic train accidents, as two other pedestrians were killed in train accidents there in the prior six months. No cause has yet been identified in the latest Carlsbad train tragedy . Investigators need to determine whether the railroad and its workers acted negligently or if the woman contributed to the accident by carelessly stepping in front of the train.
Depending on the investigation’s findings, the railroad may take steps to prevent such accidents from happening again. Railroads are known not to have strict self-regulatory measures in place. Outside influence may be needed in order to push this and other railway companies to be proactive, to prevent future accidents where possible and to properly compensate anyone injured by the railway company’s actions or inactions.
Aside from making sure you are properly compensated for any damages caused to you by the railroad, the best way to cause the railway to shoulder the burden of preventing future accidents is by making them pay for damages caused by such accidents.
If you are injured by a train, a successful lawsuit against the railway company will depend on your having a tough and aggressive attorney on your side — one who is experienced in railway accidents and has experience dealing with the railway company’s attorneys.
